Grain-cleaning device



(No Model.) EJE. LANDIS. GRAIN CLEANING DEVICE.

Patented Aug.

* UNITED- STATFS l @PATFNT OFFICE.

FRANK F. LA'NDIs, oF wAYNFsBoRoUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAIN-CLEANING DEVICE'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,043, dated 'August 6, 1895. Application filed February 4, 1895. Serial No. 537,281. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.- p

Be it known that I, FRANK F. LANDIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waynesborough, in the county ofFranklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Grain-Cleaning Devices; and I do hereby declare the follow- `ing to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertans to make and use the same.

This invention relates to grain-cleaning devices for use in connection with t-hrashingmachines; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts-hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section through the grain-cleaning devices. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of one of the grain-plates and its toothed comb. K

A are portions of the casing of a thrashingmachine or separator of any approved construction.

B is a shoe supported in the casing. The rear end of the shoe is provided with an inclined push-piece b and rests upon the irst v grain-plate, which will be more fully described hereinafter. The front end of the shoe B is supported by the shaft B, and is reciprocatedby means of one or more eccentrics b. vThe shaft B is provided with a.

pulley C for revolving it, but it may be revolved by any other approved means, and the shoe may be reciprocated by any equivalent reciprocatory driving mechanism.

D and D are gather-boards above' the shoe B, and E is a part-of a conveyor of approve construction provided with slats e.

The material to be cleaned consists of grain and rubbish from which the straw and most of the chaff have been removed. The material to be cleaned falls upon the gatherboards D D', and is moved along their surfaces by the conve-yer and dropped into the shoe B.

F is the nrst grain-plate, which rests upon guides 2, secured to the casing A. The first grain-plate rests on the guides in a substantially-horizontal position, and supports the rear end of the shoe B. A removable toothed comb 3 is secured to the rear part of the plate F, and is provided with a iange 4. The flange 4 is dropped into a groove in the plate and the toothed comb is secured in position by turn-buttons 5 or any other approved fastenings. A rack 6 is secured to the under sideof the plate F, and 7 is a toothed pinion secured on a shaft 8, which is provided with a knob 9 for revolving it. The shaft S isjournaledin the casing A and the pinion gears into the rack. The rack vand pinion may be duplicated, if desired, to make'the grain-plate slide with greater freedom when the handknob is turned, or any other approved devices may be used for adjusting the grain-plate longitudinally of the casing.

G is the second grain-plate, supported below and to the rear of the first-grain-plate F.

H is the third grain-plate, supported below and to the rearof the second grain-plate.

The grain-plates G and H are supported in a similar manner to the grain-plate F. They are provided with similar removable toothed combs, and they have similar adjusting mechanism for moving them longitudinally of the casing A.

' II are gather-boards for the clean grain arranged below the three grain-plates, and i is the Vgrain-spout below the said gatherboards.

J is the tailings-spout below and tothe rear of the third grain-plate H.

K isfa fan or blower, vof ordinary approved construction, for drivinga current of air between the grain-boards.

M are similar rollers Vprovided with spikes m and journaled in the casing over the three grain-plates. The rollers M are provided with belt-pulleys 'm' or other means for revolving them in the directions of the arrows.

i The shoe B, by means of its short and quick reciprocations, propels the material onto the first grain-plate F. When the shoe moves for- Ward, the'heavy grain falls against the pushpiece h, and when the shoe moves back it 'propels the whole body of material backward across the plate F and under the top roller.

The continued rapid reciprocations of the shoeY and its push-piece produce a quivering motion of the material on the grain-plate,which works the grain to the bottom of the pile next to the grain-plate and works the rubbish to the top of the pile above the grain. The

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toothed or spiked roller M above the plate F catches the rubbish and throws it over the toothed comb of the plate F. The grain is gradually forced rearward and drops between the teeth of the comb, being at the same time subjected to the action of the blast, which blows out any light particles which may be mixed with it. The clean grain falls upon the front side of the pile of grain resting on the second grain-plate G and slides olf it into the grain-spout. The light rubbish slides off the points of the teeth of the comb and falls upon the rear side of the said pile and is subjected to the action of the spiked roller over the second grain-plate. The material is again subjected to similar action on the third grainplate 1I. All the grain is collected and falls into the grain-spout, and the rubbish falls into the tailingsspout.

The object in making the toothed combs removable is to permit combs of dilerent tineness to be inserted, Timothy and clover seed require teeth spaced about one-sixteenth of an inch apart, while the teeth may be about a quarter of an inch apart for wheat.

The cleaning devices are equally eflicient for cleaning all kinds of grains and seeds, and the use of sieves or screens is entirely dispensedV with.

The toothed rollers cut into the piles of material when the same is damp and they prevent it from clogging, but when the grain is perfectly dry and in good condition and free from weeds and cornstalks the toothed rollers are not essential, as the blast vwould carry away the rubbish and the dry grain would run off the piles by gravity.

The three grain-plates are independently adjustable longitudinally of the casing, both with regard to each other and with regard to their toothed rollers, so that all kinds of grains and seeds may be cleaned and under all sorts of conditions.

Then the material is wet the grain-plates must be adjusted so that the apices of the piles of material are nearer the front edges of the grain-plates, because wet material will pile up at a steeper angle, and when the front faces of the piles of material are too flat it requires a much stronger blast to clean the material, and when the blast is too great some of the grain is blown to the rear and falls into the tailings-spout.

Vhat I claim isl. In a grain separator, the combination, with a plate for the grain to rest on, and means for automatically delivering a regulated quantity of grain to the said plate; of a push piece above the said plate, and driving mechanism operating to impart short and 6o quick reciprocations to the said push piece, whereby, a quivering motion being imparted to the grain, the rubbish is worked to the top of the grain and the grain is moved slowly and step by step across the said plate, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with agrain plate, of a reciprocatory shoe provided with a push piece resting on the grain plate, and a revoluble toothed roller arranged above the grain plate to the rear of the said push piece, substantially as set forth.

3. In a grain separator, the combination, with a plate for the grain to rest on, of a push piece above the said plate, driving mechanism operating to impart short and quick reciprocations to the said push piece whereby a quivering motion is imparted to the grain, and a revoluble toothed roller operating on the light rubbish which is worked to the top of the grain, substantially as set forth.

4. The combinaton,with agrain plate,of a removable toothed comb provided with a downwardly-projecting ilange engaging with a groove in the grain plate, and fastening devices for attaching the toothed comb to the grain plate, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination,with agrain plate,and means for adjusting,r it longitudinally; of a revoluble toothed roller journaled above the said plate near its rear edge, and driving mechanism operating to revolve the said roller in adirection opposite to the direction of the movement of the grain across the said plate, whereby the light rubbish is carried over the top 'of the roller, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with an upper grain plate provided with a toothed comb at its rear edge, and a toothed roller above the said comb for removing the large light rubbish; of a second grain plate provided at its rear edge with a toothed comb and arranged under the aforesaid comb whereby the grain falling between the teeth of the upper comb will slide down the front side of the pile of grain on the lower grain plate, and the small light rubbish will fall from the points of the teeth of the upper comb onto the rear side of the said pile of grain and slide down it onto the lower toothed comb, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK F. LANDIS. Witnesses:

J ticos FRICK, T. S. CUNNINGHAM.

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